ABU DHABI, 26th August, 2026 — The General Secretariat of the Khalifa International Award for Date Palm and Agricultural Innovation, under the patronage of Sheikh Nahyan bin Mubarak Al Nahyan, Minister of Tolerance and Coexistence and Chairman of the Award’s Board of Trustees, affiliated with the Zayed Humanitarian Legacy Foundation at the Presidential Court, has announced the opening of nominations for the 18th session of the Date Palm International Photography competition 2027 and the 11th session of the Date Palm International Poetry competition 2027.
The two competitions reaffirm the cultural, heritage and humanitarian significance of the date palm tree and highlight the role of artistic and literary creativity in documenting its relationship with people, the environment and society, as a symbol of generosity, life, memory and shared heritage among peoples and generations.
The Award invited professional photographers and photography lovers from around the world to participate in the 18th session of the Date Palm International Photography competition, held in appreciation of the date palm tree and to enhance the role of photography in documenting environmental and cultural heritage and enriching collective memory.
The competition aims to highlight the beauty of the date palm tree and its significance in people’s lives through photographers’ creativity and their ability to document its relationship with the land, environment and society, helping preserve the features of cultural heritage for future generations.
The Award also opened nominations for the 11th session of the Date Palm International Poetry competition, inviting poets from across the Arab world to participate with Arabic poetry in both classical and Nabati forms.
The competition aims to harness poetry to enhance public awareness of the importance of the date palm tree in terms of heritage, agriculture, food and economy, while evoking the values it represents, including patience, generosity, belonging and sustainability.
The two competitions go beyond art and literature to embody a humanitarian and cultural message that strengthens connections between cultures and generations.
Through the photographer’s lens, the date palm tree becomes a visual record of humanity’s relationship with the land, environment and society, while poetry gives it a human voice, evoking its values and significance in collective memory and consciousness. In this way, art and literature become partners in safeguarding this shared human heritage and raising awareness of its heritage, agricultural, nutritional, economic and environmental significance.
The Award confirmed that the deadline for receiving photos and poems is 15th December, 2026, with entries to be submitted exclusively through the dedicated websites, datepalmphoto.com for the Date Palm International Photography competition and datepalmpoetry.com for the Date Palm International Poetry competition.
The winners of both competitions will be announced in February 2027.
Team V.DIR-EM-UAE
